Bordeaux Wine Day TourLa Cité du Vin: the Bordeaux Wine Museum, Its Ticket and a Day Around It
La Cité du Vin is the Bordeaux wine museum on the Garonne waterfront in the Bacalan district, and this guide covers the practical side of a visit: what the entry ticket includes, how the voucher works at the door, the opening hours by season, the tram line B ride to its own stop, and how long to allow. The permanent exhibition, the 8th floor Belvedere with a glass of wine, the shop and the cellar, and the 7th floor restaurant all get their own notes. If you would rather taste in the vineyards than in a museum, the comparison of every Bordeaux wine day tour on this site sits on the homepage, and the guides to Saint-Émilion, the Médoc and the other appellations link from each section below.
Inside the permanent exhibition of La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux. Photo: FrDr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Quick answer La Cité du Vin in brief
La Cité du Vin is Bordeaux's wine museum, and its entry ticket with a glass of wine costs $26 and ends at the Belvedere with a tasting.
Key takeaways
- The $26 ticket covers the permanent exhibition with 18 thematic displays, a digital guide and a glass at the 35 m high Belvedere. Buy the Cité du Vin entry ticket with a glass of wine from La Cité du Vin itself on the booking platform.
- Allow about 3 hours for a visit. Tram line B has its own stop called La Cité du Vin.
- The museum works well as a morning before an afternoon in the vines, such as the Saint-Émilion Village and Grand Cru half day at $95.
- For what grows where around the city, see the Bordeaux wine regions map.
What the Ticket Covers
One ticket buys the whole visiting circuit, from the exhibition floors to the tasting at the top. The figures below come from the listing for the official ticket that La Cité du Vin sells on the booking platform.
Everything Included in the $26 Ticket
The ticket sold on the booking platform by La Cité du Vin itself costs $26 and is rated 4.6 from 4,506 reviews. It is a direct entry ticket, so you do not need to go through the ticket desk. It is valid for 1 day and wheelchair accessible.
The core of the visit is the permanent exhibition with its 18 thematic displays, explored with a digital guide. The listing names 8 languages: Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese, while the museum's FAQ also names Japanese. The circuit ends on the 8th floor Belvedere, 35 m above the ground, where the ticket includes 1 glass of wine. The listing puts the choice at about 15 world wines, while the museum's page says about twenty bottles. Away from the circuit, the same ticket gives access to the boutique, the restaurant, the wine cellar and the reading room.
| Included | Detail |
|---|---|
| Entry | Direct entry ticket, no need to go through the ticket desk |
| Permanent exhibition | 18 thematic displays |
| Digital guide | Languages listed: Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese |
| Belvedere | 8th floor, 35 m high, panoramic views |
| Tasting | 1 glass of wine from a choice of about 15 world wines |
| Access also to | Boutique, restaurant, wine cellar and reading room |
| Validity | 1 day |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible |
How the Voucher Works at the Door
On arrival you go straight up to the second floor and scan the voucher, which skips the ticket desk queue. The listing is honest on one point: the ticket does not give priority over other visitors, so on a busy weekend the wait inside can still be long. Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours in advance, which makes it easy to hold a ticket while you fix the rest of your Bordeaux plan.
The permanent exhibition holds up to 6 hours of content for those who want it, and the Belvedere can only be reached with a permanent exhibition ticket or an annual pass.
Sources: La Cité du Vin on the booking platform, laciteduvin.com
The Building and the Exhibition
The museum opened in the Bacalan district in 2016 and its shape has become part of the Bordeaux waterfront.
A Building by XTU Architects
La Cité du Vin opened on 31 May 2016, with the public admitted from 1 June, at 134 Quai de Bacalan in the Bacalan district of Bordeaux. The architects are XTU, the Paris firm of Anouk Legendre and Nicolas Desmazières founded in 2000. The facade combines silk-screen printed glass with perforated, lacquered aluminium panels, and the building draws 70% of its energy needs from local and green energy sources.
The Belvedere sits 35 m above the ground, fully glazed, with a 360 degree view over Bordeaux and the Garonne. Attendance has been strong: the museum passed one million visitors by autumn 2018, two million by May 2022, and a trade report counts nearly 3.5 million since 2016, with more than half of visitors coming from outside France.
The Permanent Exhibition and the Tasting Workshops
The redesigned permanent exhibition opened to the public in February 2023 and is organised into 6 universes containing 18 thematic areas. The included visit companion comes as a Comfort tour with seating or a Juniors tour for ages 7 to 12, and the exhibition holds up to 6 hours of content. Beyond the basic ticket, the museum runs paid workshops: Via Sensoria is a one-hour sensory tasting with four tastings in groups of up to 15, the Introduction to Tasting workshop covers three wines, and the Bordeaux 360 workshop covers four.
A combined ticket takes 30% off a second experience, and an undated open ticket is valid for a year.
Le 7, Latitude20 and the Cellar
Restaurant Le 7 occupies the 7th floor with panoramic views, and access is free and open to all, so you can eat there without a ticket. Lunch runs Monday to Saturday 12:00 to 15:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 16:00, dinner Tuesday to Saturday 19:00 to 21:30. Le 7 received a Michelin Guide Assiette Gourmande in 2018 and its page lists a wine list of 300 wines from 50 countries, while the museum's FAQ says more than 500 bottles.
On the ground floor, the Latitude20 brasserie serves lunch daily 12:00 to 15:00, its wine bar runs 15:00 to 19:00 with nearly 50 wines by the glass, and the snack bar is open daily from 10:00 to 16:00 by its own page, while the museum's FAQ says 17:00. The ticket also covers the boutique and the Latitude20 wine cellar for bottles to take home.
Sources: laciteduvin.com, Wikipedia
I Visited La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux
A walk through the Cité du Vin exhibition. Third-party video by V is for Vino Wine Show. This site did not shoot it and has no relationship with the creator.
Hours, Tram and How Long to Stay
The hours change with the season, the tram stop carries the museum's own name, and the listing suggests about 3 hours for a visit.
Opening Hours by Season
The official hours published by La Cité du Vin run in seasonal blocks, so check the official site for the exact window of your trip. From 3 April to 31 October the visiting areas are open daily 10:00 to 19:00. From 1 November to 3 January they open weekdays and Sundays 10:00 to 18:00, Saturdays and holidays 10:00 to 19:00, with a 16:00 close on 24 December and closure on 25 December.
From 3 January to 2 April the museum is open daily 10:00 to 18:00 except the maintenance closure week of 25 to 31 January, and stays open until 19:00 on Saturdays in March. The FAQ confirms it opens every day including public holidays except 25 December and the last week of January, and it is not free on the first Sunday of the month. Weekends and long weekends are the busiest, so aim for the 10:00 opening on a weekday if you can.
| Period | Hours |
|---|---|
| 3 April to 31 October | Daily 10:00 to 19:00 |
| 1 November to 3 January | Weekdays and Sundays 10:00 to 18:00, Saturdays and holidays 10:00 to 19:00 |
| 24 December | Closing at 16:00 |
| 25 December | Closed |
| 3 January to 2 April | Daily 10:00 to 18:00, except closure 25 to 31 January |
| Saturdays in March | Until 19:00 |
Getting There by Tram Line B
Tram line B stops at a station called La Cité du Vin, right by the museum at 134 Quai de Bacalan. The same line also serves Quinconces and Place de la Bourse in the city centre, so the ride from the historic core is a single tram with no changes. Bus lines 7 and 32 are listed as alternatives.
There is no car park reserved for visitors, which is one more reason to arrive by tram. Bordeaux's tram network opened in December 2003 and line C is the one that connects to Gare Saint-Jean, the TGV hub for Paris, Lyon and Marseille.
How Long a Visit Takes
The ticket listing puts a visit at around 3 hours, which covers the 18 thematic displays at a steady pace plus the glass at the Belvedere. Visitors who work through more of the 6 hours of exhibition content should allow most of a day. Two small practical notes from the tasting culture here: at French tastings most people take sips from 6 to 8 wines and consume the equivalent of 1 to 2 glasses, and the bucket is for leftovers, so spitting discreetly into your glass is a normal choice, especially for drivers.
The French legal limit for drivers is 0.5 g per litre of blood.
Sources: laciteduvin.com, Tramway de Bordeaux
Before or After a Day in the Vineyards
The museum explains Bordeaux, the châteaux let you taste it, and the two slot together well in one day.
A Museum Morning, a Vineyard Afternoon
Because a visit takes around 3 hours and the doors open at 10:00, the museum fits neatly before an afternoon departure. Two afternoon half days leave from the city centre in time for a morning at La Cité du Vin. The Saint-Émilion Village and Grand Cru Half Day costs $95, runs 4 to 4.5 hours, and pairs a village walk with 3 to 4 wines at one Grand Cru Classé château plus a French aperitif platter.
The Médoc and Margaux with Gourmet Platter costs $100 and runs 3.5 to 4.5 hours, with an afternoon tasting of 5 wines at 2 wineries and a photo stop at Château Margaux. Neither tour includes lunch, so plan an early or late meal. For the full line-up and prices side by side, the comparison of Bordeaux wine day tours sits on the homepage.
Choosing a Region to Pair With It
A same-day tasting adds the real thing to the museum. Saint-Émilion is on the right bank, and the guide to Bordeaux to Saint-Émilion covers the train, while the Saint-Émilion guide and the monolithic church of Saint-Émilion cover the village itself. On the left bank, read up on Pauillac wine, Château Margaux or the wider Médoc before a Margaux or Médoc tour.
Sweet wine lovers can add Sauternes wine, and Pomerol wine and Graves wine round out the picture in the Bordeaux wine regions map.
La Cité du Vin: Questions and Answers
How long does a visit to La Cité du Vin take?
The ticket listing puts a visit at around 3 hours, covering the permanent exhibition and the glass at the Belvedere, though the exhibition holds up to 6 hours of content for slow readers. The $26 Cité du Vin entry ticket with a glass of wine is valid for 1 day.
What is La Cité du Vin in Bordeaux?
It is a wine museum that opened in the Bacalan district on 31 May 2016, designed by XTU Architects, with a permanent exhibition of 18 thematic areas and a tasting at the 35 m high Belvedere. See the full La Cité du Vin guide for the detail.
How do I get to La Cité du Vin by tram?
Take tram line B to the stop called La Cité du Vin, which sits next to the museum at 134 Quai de Bacalan. Line B also serves Quinconces, the meeting point for some half-day wine tours.
Does the La Cité du Vin ticket include a wine tasting?
Yes. The ticket includes 1 glass of wine from a choice of about 15 world wines at the Belvedere on the 8th floor, with a non-alcoholic option available. The entry ticket with tasting costs $26 with free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance.
Is there food at La Cité du Vin?
Yes. Restaurant Le 7 on the 7th floor serves lunch Monday to Saturday 12:00 to 15:00 and Sunday 12:00 to 16:00, dinner Tuesday to Saturday 19:00 to 21:30, and access is free. The Latitude20 brasserie serves lunch daily 12:00 to 15:00 and its snack bar runs 10:00 to 16:00 (the FAQ says 17:00), per the museum's own restaurant pages.